Saturday, March 10, 2012

I’m So Damn Tired

Every day I open my netbook and I log on Twitter or Facebook or one of the countless news organizations out there and every day (it seems recently) I find some new news article designed to piss me off. First it was the birth control debate. Then it was the stupid ‘joke’ about aspirin as an effective birth control. Then it was Rush’s response to the birth control debate.

- I must admit, by the time this happened, I was kind of numb and apathetic to the whole thing. One can only handle so much hatred and vitriol being spewed at you simply because of your gender.

But it got even better, ‘cause then Arizona stepped up to the plate with a proposed law designed to protect doctors from ‘wrongful birth’ lawsuits. (Click 'Arizona' to go to Huffington Post article about the law) Now, I believe a doctor has the RIGHT to choose with procedures he/she is willing to and comfortable performing. If a doctor has religious beliefs that prevent him from performing an abortion, for instance, I believe the government shouldn’t be allowed to pass laws to force them to. But to withhold information from a patient (specifically a female patient because males can’t get pregnant) because that information might make an abortion more likely? And information that could be life saving to the mother, nonetheless? That’s where you’re crossing the line. Why should my doctor’s rights and beliefs carry more weight than mine? It’s my body, my life. And why is it always females under attack? Why are there no condescending reproduction laws aimed at men? Not that I want them to start making them. The only thing worse than the current attack of females is the tit for tat game.

But it’s all left me angry and frustrated that I have to keep explaining why I’m angry to people.

Here’s the thing, I like being a girl. Actually, I love being a girl. Don’t get me wrong, I love the men out there. I’m happily married and have two boys. But I wouldn’t want to be a man for all the gold in Spain. So I don’t understand why it is that so many people hate women—hate me just for being a woman. I have my college degree, earned it while waitressing tables at a pizza place to support myself, so why do so many people think I’m incapable of making decisions about my health and body? And (here’s the kicker) because I’m female, am I supposed to hate sex?

I don’t want special treatment. I just want to be treated like a human.